Tuesday Before Election Tuesday – Trump vs. Harris
With the U.S. presidential election just around the corner, specifically on Tuesday, November 5th, a large portion of 2.g and 2.hf students had the pleasure of being visited by not just one, but three speakers. Each speaker, with their own perspective on the upcoming election, explained and clarified important concepts and key points of the American election campaign.
The morning began with Ph.D. and linguist Mark Herron, who thoroughly guided the students through the ways rhetoric shapes the discourses within the campaign and between the candidates. In his English-language presentation, Herron focused on the rhetorical strategies of Harris and Trump—and how these influence not only the American election and social media but also how the two candidates and their campaigns are perceived by the rest of the world.
After the presentation, the students of BG responded with a series of pointed questions, such as whether key issues like the right to abortion could make the votes of an entire state lean one way or another. Naturally, there was also the question everyone wants to know: who will win?
After lunch, Anders Agner, editor of the online media outlet Kongressen.dk, took over. Agner gave the students an overview of the domestic political challenges occupying American society and the agendas dominating the election campaign. Here, too, important clarifying questions were posed, such as how Kamala Harris and Tim Walz might go about implementing the many campaign promises made throughout the election.
Finally, the American election and Trump and Harris’ global visions for America respectively, were mapped out by Rasmus Sinding Søndergaard, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS). Starting from the premise, “It is becoming more costly and burdensome for the U.S. to maintain its position of power” (Søndergaard, 10/29/24), Søndergaard delivered a sharp analysis of the internal and external factors affecting the overall role of the US in the world. This analysis highlighted what is at stake in this election, not only for Americans but also for the rest of the world.
BG extends a big thank you to the three talented speakers, each of whom helped map out and clarify many complex elements of the American election campaign. The students and teachers of BG are more than ready to watch—and, importantly, to engage in discussions—when Americans head to the polls on November 5th.